Method and apparatus for producing dealcoholized fermented beverages.



G. CIAPETTI. A

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING DEALCOHOLIZED FERMENTED BEVERAGES.

- APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. I912.

1,243,811, Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

GINO GIAPETTI, OI ROME, ITALY.

I METHOD AN D APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING DEALCOHOLIZED FERMENTED BEVERAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 191% Application flled May 8, 1912. Serial No.695,987.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GINO CIAPETTI, a subject of the King of Italy,residing at Rome, Italy, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in -Methods and Apparatus for Producing DealcoholizedFermented Beverages, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improvedapparatusfor continuously dealcoholizing wine, beer and other fermentedliquids, keeping the said de-alcoholized substances otherwise intact andunaltered and at the same time recovering the alcohol in a condition ofthe highest concentration and purity, my said improved apparatus havingthe advantage of permitting the wine or other alcoholic liquid to beautomatically fed to the apparatus when working, and of discharging thealcohol and de-alcoholized products therefrom under the same conditions,the wines and other dealcoholized substances keeping all their qualitiesintact, such as flavor, color and original chemical composition, exceptthat the alcohol is separated therefrom by the devices which will now bedescribed.

The apparatus may be heated to a predetermined and absolutely constanttempera- 80 ture by introducin into the heating spaces suitable liquidsof inown boiling point.

The said bath permits the circulation and automatic reintegration of theliquid therein which may be heated from the outside or by steamaccording to the working capacity of the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred form of apparatus is shown inelevation partly in section for carrying my process into practice.

The apparatus shown in Figure 1 comprises a column A containing a seriesof 'Wine exhaustin cups BB each of which may be heated y a li uid ora-steam bath,

the liquid of the bath eing adapted to circulate from one cup to theother by tubes C". Eachcup is surmounted by a metallic condensing disk Wacting as a dephlegmator of alcohohc vapors generated in each of the '50said cups; 0' C are return tubes which restore the de-alcoholizedphlegms separated during the operation, and cool the upper surface ofdisk W thus producing the de phlegmation. v 4 The column A may be madeof a suitable acid-resisting material. At F on the bottom of column A amechanical stirrer P is placed to facilitate the exhaustion of thealcohol contained in the wine. The temperature of the liquid bath at thebottom F of column A 0 may be controlled by a steam coil enteringthrough 3. a

The wine from the distributer- T is admitted to the small apparatus V,said admission] being controlled by a graduated cock K. The as liquidpasses through the coil 3 which is externally heated by a liquid orsteam bath thereby being heated to the temperature necessary for thedevelopment of the flavored ethers and the gases. While in chamber V thevaporization takes place, and in column Z the ethers are separated fromthe accompanying alcoholic products. The ethers are condensed in coolerE whence they pass to the emulsifier D where they again meet with thecold de-alcoholized wine from column A and cooler C. The wine deprivedof others and gases is admitted to column A where it passes through thelong channels of the stepwise arranged cups B-B, distribso uted in athin film upon the same, and is there deprived of its alcohol, thevapors of which rise through the co1umn,,whereupon the wine is collectedin the bottom part F,

.thence flowing continuously into the cooler G, and then to theemulsifier D from which it may be discharged by cocks 1 and 2 andalternately collected in tanks R-R, the one filling while the other isbeing discharged as one or the other may be suitably cut off from theremaining part of the apparatus.

By this arrangement undue rise of pressure in the interior of theapparatus and consequent rise of temperature beyond 62? centigrade isprevented so that the wine remains intact and cannot take up extraneousflavors.

The generated hydro-alcoholic vapors pass to the small dephlegmatorcolumn H where I they arevsuitably concentrated, the products ofcondensation being collected in aboiler U containing a steam-coil forheating the liquid to boiling temperature and depriving it of anyresidual alcohol. The condensed water passes to the refrigerator I,

and thence to the distributor J from which it flows, by means ofregulation cocks -yand is returned to the column where it assists inconcentrating the alcoholic vapors generated by the cups by beingdistributed on lenticular dephlegmating plates W above each of the saidcups. The concentrated alcoholic vapors then pass to the column L wherethey are condensed, whereupon they are collected in reservoir M and maythen be concentrated in the ordinary manner.

0 is a vacuum pump connected to a safety vessel or catch vessel P, formaintaining a uniform degree'of vacuum throughout the Whole apparatus.

What I claim is l 1. In the manufacture of low alcohol beverages, theprocess consisting of flowing the beverage which has been previouslydeprived of the major portion of its ethers and gases over a successionof heated surfaces -na thin film to drive off a portion ofthe alcoholwith aportion of the water, separating the portion of alcohol from thewater driven ofl" therewith, cooling the water and reintroducing thewater into the beverage in separate portions, one immediately after thebeverage has passed each heated surface, to maintain the volumesubstantially constant erage in separate portions,

assen and to assist in maintaining a low temperature.

2. In the manufacture of low alcohol bevranges, the process consistingof flowing the beverage which has been previously deprived of the majorportion of its ethers and gases over a succession of heated surfaces ina thin film to drive off a portion of the alcohol with a portion of thewater, separating the portion of alcohol from the water driven ofitherewith, cooling the water and reintroducing the water into the bevoneimmediately after the beverage has passed each heated surface, tomaintain the volume substantially constant and to assist in themaintaining of a'lo w temperature.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GINO GIAPETTI.

Witnesses:

Dmmo' NARDONI, Nroom Srsro.

